Belgium's King Albert II gives up throne to son

By Ben Brumfield, CNN

Updated 12:06 PM ET, Sun July 21, 2013

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King Albert II of Belgium to abdicate – King Albert II of Belgium announced Wednesday, July 3, that he will abdicate the throne on July 21. His son, Crown Prince Philippe, will succeed him. Here the king attends a tribute to the unknown soldier on November 11, 2012, in Brussels, Belgium.

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King Albert II of Belgium to abdicate – King Albert II shakes hands with Giacinto Berloco, the Vatican's prelate to Belgium and Luxembourg, while he and Queen Paola attend a reception at the Palais de Bruxelles on January 9 in Brussels.

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King Albert II of Belgium to abdicate – Queen Paola and King Albert II in Luxembourg after the wedding of that nation's Prince Guillaume of and Princess Stephanie on October 20, 2012.

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King Albert II of Belgium to abdicate – Queen Paola and King Albert II attend the National Day Parade at Place des Palais on July 21, 2011 in Brussels.

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King Albert II of Belgium to abdicate – King Albert II and Queen Paola pose in front of the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle on October 24, 2000, in Prague, Czech Republic.

"I have noticed how my age and my health have not permitted me to exercise my duties the way I would like to," the 79-year-old said in an address to the nation.

King Philippe, 53, was educated in public schools in Belgium's two major languages, Flemish and French, and later attended the royal military academy, where he trained to be a fighter pilot.

Belgium, which is home to the European Union capital of Brussels, has also gained a queen in Mathilde, Philippe's wife. She is the daughter of a count and countess and graduated with a degree in speech therapy.

Albert's abdication follows that of the Netherlands' Queen Beatrice earlier this year and that of Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

"I wish to express to him my sincere thanks for his tireless efforts in the service of Belgium and Europe," Barroso said in a statement.

Throughout his 20-year reign, Albert "has never ceased to be a staunch defender of the values that are the basis of the European construction," Barroso said.

The Belgian royal family has had less luck promoting cohesion within its own country, which is culturally split between ethnic Flemish Dutch people in the north, ethnic French people in the south and a small group of ethnic Germans in the east.

Separatist ideas have sprouted particularly in the Flemish region, which has a stronger economy.